Nursing home resident dies after allegedly being smothered by son

A terminally ill nursing home resident in Ohio has died after his son is alleged to have smothered him, according to police.

The son, 58-year-old Steven Curtis, is accused of putting his hand over his father’s mouth and nose at Oaks of Brecksville nursing home in Brecksville, OH, early Monday, the Associated Press reported. Roy Curtis, 86, reportedly died hours after his son was arrested.

Steven Curtis allegedly threw a telephone at staff members and assaulted one of them when the employee attempted to intervene, and staff reported he appeared to be intoxicated. Additional details can be found in the AP story.

Curtis appeared in court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to a count of attempted murder and additional charges of assault and disorderly conduct. He was released on a $50,000 bail.

The Oaks of Brecksville issued this statement, according to Fox 8 Cleveland:

“We were made aware of an incident involving a son’s unfortunate reaction to his father`s end stage of life. We took all necessary precautions and notified the appropriate authorities. In speaking with the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner, we were informed that the decedent experienced no signs of trauma leading to his passing.”

The Oaks of Brecksville is an 80-bed facility about 16 miles south of Cleveland.